Promise
by GoneFishing-Cullenistic357
Summary: She was just a normal girl working part time in a coffee shop. He was just a normal guy with high hopes for a lost cause. When they cross paths, she will find what she's been missing and he will be given life again. It all starts in a coffee shop.
1. First encounter

Tuesday, 8:21P.M.

My name is Bella and I go to a community college so I could take care of my father. It's not that bad. I have a job in town. A nice woman named Fran employed me. She owns her own coffee shop called "Frantastic". It was a calm night in Forks; not much hustle and bustle. I like this small city. It's kind of homey. It's the kind of place you stroll through on a cold night, watching the street lights flicker and twinkle like magic, and happen to stroll into a warm, little coffee shop nestled on the end of the street, where inviting, sweet music and the smell of cinnamon and orange blossom flows through the door as you open it. I was making a double espresso, when Fran came over to me.

"I can take over the espresso. Why don't you take this tray to table four?" She said, setting a tray with a soy latte, a half-calf cappuccino, and one of Fran's homemade blueberry muff ins.

"Okay." I said, dusting off my hands on my apron. I carried the tray from behind the counter towards table four off to the side of the shop. I kept my eyes on the tray, trying not to spill coffee. This wasn't a smart idea, because I accidently ran into someone, and we both went crashing to the floor, and the coffee came flying down on us. He grunted as the hot coffee soaked his blue cotton shirt. I pulled myself off of him and held out my hand for his. He took it and I helped him up.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! Let me help you. We have some club soda in the back. I didn't mean to make this mess. It's just I got this job just a few weeks ago and I've been trying not to screw it up. I bet I burned you pretty bad with the coffee. Ugh! I am so going to get fired. What will Charlie say? I don't--"

The guy put his hand over my mouth and smirked playfully.

"Just lead the way." He chuckled. I blushed, cleared my throat, smoothed my coffee-covered ponytail, and led him to the employee lounge. I closed the door behind us and went to the fridge.

"So what's your name?" He asked.

"Oh, um, I'm Bella." I gushed.

"Very lovely name. My name is Jasper. Nice to meet you."

I pulled out the bottle of club soda and turned around to see he was shirtless. I don't know why I was stunned, but I think I stopped in my tracks and gasped. I think I might have even made a little whimper/groan. And I think he might have heard it because he looked up at me and chuckled. I held out my hand and he tossed me his shirt and I tossed him a towel. Maybe this was below me, but I kept sneaking peeks at Jasper. He was drying his arms and watching me dab the club soda into the soft light blue cotton shirt. I tried to hide a smile. I couldn't understand why I was so attracted to Jasper. I hardly knew him. But there was something about him. He's different than any other college guy I know that just like kegs and overbearing women. They disgust me. But jasper was different. His shirt was nearly dry so I brought it over to him and handed it to him. He reached for it and his hand brushed mine. My stomach jolted and I got lightheaded. I cleared my throat nervously.

"I like your tattoo." I babbled, feeling like an idiot for not knowing what else to say.

"Really? Well, thank you, ma'am. I put a lot of thought into it." He said. I impulsively traced my fingers across the tattoo on his left hip. It was a rose with pedals falling off and it said "Faith is a virtue. Love is a promise."

"Why did you get it?" I asked. My eyes were locked on his tattoo.

"It's for my sister. She's seven years old and she has cancer. I've been praying for her every day and visit her in the hospital almost every week. I love seeing her eyes light up whenever I come."

"Oh, that is so sweet, Jasper. She's lucky to have you." I said. Then snapping out of it, I quickly removed my fingers from his hip, and went to put the club soda back away. He pulled on his shirt. We walked back out to the front. I saw Fran making small talk with a man waiting for his mocha to be prepared. She winked at me, and I could've guessed what she was thinking, what with Jasper trailing behind me. But she only said one thing.

"Bella, it is Tuesday."

I felt my cheeks warm. Oh. Tuesday nights and Thursday nights are nights that I perform songs for the people in the coffee shop. I turned to Jasper, who was playing with the strings of my apron.

"I have to go to stage now." I squeaked.

"Understandable." He said, taking a seat on the leather loveseat in the corner by the coffee table.

My hands were sort of shaky and the back of my neck broke out in a cold sweat. He was watching me. He was going to watch me come up here and sing. Ugh. Here goes nothing.

Whenever I perform, I usually pick a Norah Jones song to sing, because she has songs that lift my spirits and I get lost in the music when I am singing them. So I took a deep breath as the house band began to play a happy, soft melody. I smiled to the people watching me as I rocked side to side on the stool I was sitting on. I grabbed the microphone and sang "Feelin' the Same Way" by Norah Jones.

"_The sun just slipped it's note below my door, and I can't hide beneath my sheets, I've read the words before so now I know time has come again for me, And I'm feelin' the same way all over again, feelin' the same way all over again, singin' the same lines all over again, no matter how much I pretend…"_

When the song ended, I grinned while the audience applauded, and climbed down from the tiny stage. Jasper was waiting there for me with one of Fran's homemade blueberry muffins, picking off blueberries and popping them into his mouth. He smiled a winning smile at me and my heart fluttered. I returned the smile.

"You've got talent. That was so wonderful." He said, offering me a bite of his muffin. I took a tiny bite and laughed.

"Really? Well I think your reasoning skills are slightly shy of perfect, because that was not wonderful. It was just…me. I'm no Norah Jones." I said.

"I beg to differ. It was wonderful. You are wonderful. Norah Jones would be awestruck right now." He said, moving a loose strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I sighed blissfully with my eyes closed.

"You know, I wasn't so sure of myself. The only way I can find myself is through music. It's all I know. It takes me places. It makes me feel things. It makes life livable." I said with a smile on my lips. Jasper studied my face and murmured something I couldn't quite hear. It sort of sounded like "You found me" but I couldn't be so sure. He glanced up at the wall clock.

"It's 10:00, Bella. I believe your shift is over. Would you mind if I drove you home?" He said. I looked at Fran, who had just put up the last of the clean cups, and turned off the lights behind the counter. She'd wiped down the bar, the tables, the seats, and swept up while I stood there in a daze, absorbed in Jasper. I felt so bad for sticking her with the work. All the chairs were flipped upside down on the tables and all the candles were blown out. She grabbed her jacket and turned to see us still over by the loveseat. She tossed me my keys and said,

"Hey, Bella, lock up when you're down." She smiled, her cheeks stretching up to where her freckles danced across her nose. I nodded.

"Okay, Jasper. You can give me a ride home." I said after Fran walked out. He grinned at me.

"Great. Come with me." He said, grabbing me firmly by the elbow and pulled me behind the counter. He stood behind me and yanked the black apron with pink lettering off my hips revealing my blue jeans that hugged my waist and my Frantastic shirt. He tucked his arm around my waist, and his warm fingers played at the visible skin of my hips. I giggled as he picked me up and took my keys, locking up for me. The street lights glittered around us as we disappeared around the corner and down the street.


	2. Prayers to His Sister

I floated through the door as Jasper drove off. A smile crept on my face as I danced through to the kitchen to find Charlie reading the paper. He looked up at me, confused.

"Bella, you're never this giddy. You look like you're in a trance. What happened?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing, I just had a really good shift at Fran's." I said. He shrugged and went back to his paper and I made his dinner for tomorrow night. I have to stick it in the fridge so he can heat it up tomorrow since I don't get home until after 10:00P.M. So, I made him beef stroganoff and thought of Jasper. I wished I could see him again.

That wish came true. Jasper showed up Wednesday night, too. He showed up on Thursday and Friday as well. He kept coming back just to see me. I saw him on campus quite a few times. He's a freshman in college as well. We got to know each other very well. He calls me every day. I guess we are kind of…friends now. It's so cool. After a few weeks of disappearance from Jasper he showed up again at Frantastic.

Tuesday, 8:17 P.M.

Jasper just walked in. He's making his way towards me at the counter. He smiles. I smile.

"Hey, Bella. You look lovely today."

"Hey, Jasper, you softie. What's up?"

He cleared his throats, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Um, well I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere with me tomorrow night."

I was pouring coffee in to a mug, when I looked up and gasped. I tried to hide a smile, while I set the pot and mug down on the counter, and grabbed the handle of the drawer to steady myself, but it didn't work. My legs shook under me and I fell. Jasper looked over the bar at me and suddenly I popped up behind the counter.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to. When will you pick me up?" I said.

"Is six o'clock okay?" He asked. I couldn't tell in this dim light, but it looked like he was blushing. He let loose a nervous chuckle, and rubbed the back of his neck.

'It's perfect." I smiled reassuringly to him. He smiled back.

"Great. I'll see you then." He said, waving at me as he walked out of the coffee shop.

Wednesday, 5:48 P.M.

I've been pondering this for the last twenty-four hours, and I think I have a date with Jasper. I made slow, gasp-y, little breaths as I shakily ran my brush through my loose, chocolate-brown curls, which I usually keep in a ponytail. I'd decided to wear my orange long-sleeve Hollister shirt that says "Laguna Wave Riders" across my chest and left arm, my skinny jeans and my black boots. At the last minute, I decided to grab a handful of hair at the top of my head and rapped a shiny, red-orange ribbon around it, pulling in to a neat, little bow. I put my lucky ring on my index finger, and the doorbell rang. 5:53 P.M. He's early. I walked to the door and opened it. Jasper held out his hand, and I took it. He kissed my hand and I blushed. He gestured toward his car.

"Milady." He said. I laughed and curtsied.

"Why, thank you, kind sir." I said, and he walked me to the car, opening my door for me. He shut it behind me, and walked to the driver's side, starting the engine. A single rose sat on the dashboard with a tag attached by a ribbon that said: "To Bella".

"You got me a rose? Wow that is so sweet." I said, twirling it in my hand.

"I'm glad you like it." He smiled.

"So where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see."

"So it's a secret?"

"Well, no. It's more like a surprise."

"Well, I don't really like surprises."

"Well, you will like this one."

"Well, I think we need to stop saying well." I said. We burst out laughing and I caught a glimpse of something in the backseat.

"Jasper? Why are you bringing a guitar?" I asked.

"Wow, you are such a worry-wart. Just wait and see." He said.

So I waited, and I must admit I felt a little disappointed when he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.

"The hospital? What are we doing here?" I asked, curious.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." He said, leading me through the revolving door to the front lobby. A young woman named Aspen looked up and smiled.

"Ah, Jasper. I see you've brought a friend. Rosalie is awake and she's been waiting for you. Go right ahead. You know the way." She waved us through and he led me to an elevator. I flushed, and my cheeks burned.

"Jasper, I…" I tried to object, but he pulled me on to the empty elevator and pressed the number 8. We were on level 1. I started to make gasping breaths and clutch the railing on the side. My fingers curled tightly around it and my knuckles protested, jutting out of my now pale skin. Jasper looked over to me.

"Bella what's the matter?" He said, clutching my elbow.

"N—I just…I don't…like elevators." I said. Truth is that I had an irrational fear of elevators. I was getting worse and we were only on level 3.

"Sit down, place your head between your knees, and breathe deeply and slowly." He said. I did as I was told. We reached level 6 and the elevator stopped. I let out a sigh. The doors opened and a man in a suit was about to walk on. Jasper asked him if he could please take the next elevator. He let us go. Eventually, we reached level 8 and I stood up and ran off. I took a few deep gasping breaths and I immediately felt better. Jasper followed behind me carrying his guitar and a box off the elevator we walked to a room at the end of the hall. A little girl with long blonde hair turned her head toward us and smiled a cute smile. She had icy blue eyes, but they sparkled with kindness. She is missing her two front teeth and she has light freckles that are dusted across her cheeks and nose. Jasper stepped forward to her. He kneeled down beside her bed, smoothed her hair and kissed her temple.

"Hey kiddo. I'd like you to meet someone. Rosalie, this is Bella. Bella this is Rosalie. She's a Norah Jones fan, too." He said. I approached Rosalie and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Rosalie."

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too." She giggled shyly.

"Okay, Rosie-Posie. I brought you some stuff," he said, "I know that daisies are your favorites, so…" He pulled a vase full of daisies from his box. Rosalie squealed, clapping her hands and bursting with happy laughter that tinkles like silver bells. It made me smile. He set the vase on her bedside table. Then he pulls out a white little worn teddy bear, with a frayed, brown-yarn nose, and a faded red heart stitched on the left side of his chest. Rosalie's eyes lit up.

"Boo-bear! Where did you find him? I thought I lost him months ago." She said, tears welling in her eyes.

"I found Boo-bear in the attic. Mom put him behind an old box of wind-up music boxes, and snow globes. And I brought your favorite one." He pulled out a snow globe with a little girl inside in a parka and mittens. Jasper reaches under the globe and turns the little notch. Sweet music came from it, like a lullaby. The little girl inside the globe began skating around a little woodland ice rink. She held a star. I could tell it was custom made after Rosalie. The melody coming from it sounded really familiar, but I couldn't tell what it was. Jasper pulled his guitar from around his back.

"And I thought I would play you your favorite song for old times' sake." He said, plucking softly at the strings of the guitar. I knew this song. This was one of my favorites of Norah Jones. It was also the tinkling melody from the music globe. It's called "Seven Years". Rosalie and I sang along to his playing.

"Spinning, laughing, dancing to her favorite song, a little girl with nothing wrong is all alone. Eyes wide open, always hoping for the sun, and she'll sing a song to anyone who comes along. Fragile as a leaf in autumn, just falling to the ground, without a sound. Crooked little smile on her face tells a tale of grace that's all alone…" We sang together. Jasper watched us smiling. Once the song ended he put his arm around my shoulder.

"Now doesn't she have talent?" He grinned. Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest and said,

"Are you going to kiss her?" She said, crinkling her nose, making a playfully disgusted face.

"We are not to map out our futures. They shall come as we go." He said. Gosh, I hope that's a yes. Jasper sat beside Rosalie's bed and turned on cartoons for her. She soon drifted to sleep. Jasper smoothed her hair once again and kissed her forehead. Jasper started to exit the room, but he turned back to me where I was still standing beside her bed.

"Go on, Jasper. I'll be right out." I said. He shrugged and stepped out through the doorway. I sat on Rosalie's bed and smoothed her silky blonde hair. I whispered to her.

"Rosalie. Hmm. I like you. You've got a big, gracious heart, given your position. I hope you pull through. You should for your parents; for Jasper. You just need a little luck." I said. I took her hand and slid my lucky ring off of my finger and on to hers. "Goodbye, Rosalie." I said, slowly backing out. I blew her a kiss goodbye. Something already clicked in my mind, and I knew she was more than his sister. She was his life; his hope. Standing by the door, I bowed my head, whispering prayers for his sister in my hand, and clutching them in my fist to my chest as I stepped out.

I didn't expect to see Jasper waiting outside the door. He stood there leaning against the wall.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, I am ready." I said, walking behind him.

"Are you hungry?"

"Oh. Yes, kind of." I said. And so Jasper drove us to Frantastic and bought me a muffin and a decaf cappuccino. We sat over on the leather loveseat.

"You know, I saw what you did back there in the hospital room before we left. That was really sweet. She likes you a lot, you know. She wishes you were her sister. You're just such a good person that people can't help but love you. You even gave her your lucky ring. That's kindness."

"Well, I feel like I have a connection with her. We are clinging on to life as we know it. I don't want to grow up. I know I sound like a preschooler." I said, and blushed.

"Don't we all sometimes? I know exactly how you feel. I don't like growing any older. I like my youth. Don't feel ashamed." He said. But at the same time I turned my head away from him. I didn't want him to see the tears well up in my eyes. Then what he did shocked me. He twisted my face back towards his, and our faces were inches apart.

"Make the most of it, Bella. Make the most of it." He whispered, coming closer. My breathing kicked in to high gear and my heart pounded against my chest. I leaned in to where our lips barely touched. But, he stopped, and whispered:

"We have to go to stage."

I caught my breath as he stood up, walking to the stage with his guitar.

"To…to stage?" I questioned.

"Yes. We are going to duet." He said, pulling me up to my feet. Fear racked my body and I quivered. Singing wasn't too difficult, but singing with Jasper…I haven't even rehearsed.

"Duet?!" I screeched.

"Come on. It'll be cool." He said. I sure hope he's right.


End file.
